'William Tell' Review

William Tell had its World Premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. It is currently seeking US distribution.

William Tell, not the historical figure, but the character within writer/director Nick Hamm’s newest film, is a protagonist we’ve seen several times before. He’s a veteran who’s been scarred by battle, with PTSD flashbacks of his younger and more violent days ravaging him each time he lays eyes on a weapon. But he’s made peace with his past, settling in the serene Swiss mountains and tending to his farm and livestock with his wife and son. However, trouble comes knocking one day in the form of the Austrian tax collectors, servants of the ruthless Hapsburg king. One thing leads to another, and Tell is forced to choose to pick up arms again to fight against tyranny, or leave that part of his life good and buried.

Of course, history and the laws of cinema would tell you that our reluctant hero will do what is right and join his brothers, even if it means going against his creed of reformation. Hamm makes damn sure that we as the audience agree with Tell’s stance on the possibility of a Swiss revolt against their Austrian oppressors, opting for a litany of analogies centering on fire, streams, and bee stings, all of which boil down to the old saying about an eye for an eye. The rest of the dialogue gets even clunkier, with characters always entering by coyly stating their purpose and motivations, and most conversations repeating themselves until their theses have been hammered home.

Even with several attempts across the 133-minute runtime, Hamm never strikes oil, with his insistence on violence being soulless never being properly communicated through the action. There’s always a modicum level of enjoyment to be had in the set pieces, with Hamm speaking out of both sides of his mouth as he declares that war is hell, but that we should still have some fun while pondering its ramifications.

And if Tell is Batman, then Viceroy Gessler is his Joker, a bloodthirsty lieutenant of the king who’s hellbent on quelling the hope that Tell incites within the Swiss masses. His cruelty knows no bounds, with his devious acts being the spark that ignites this initially small movement into a declaration of war.

The comparisons to Braveheart and The Outlaw King are too hard to ignore at this point, something that also extends to the film’s strengths and weaknesses. Hamm’s first foray into screenwriting might not be successful enough for him to continue down that path, but his prowess in the director’s chair is still something to behold. There’s an old-school sweep to this story, with a rousing score by Steven Price and, except for a few establishing shots furnished with gaudy digital backdrops, some handsome cinematography by Jamie Ramsay. Despite not hailing from a big studio, a chunk of change has been invested and efficiently used for this production, something that fans of historical epics will certainly find enjoyment in.

Claes Bang maintains his physique from The Northman as the titular character, this time trading a spear for a crossbow. His particular set of skills aids him in downing several enemies in short order on the battlefield, and his stoic sense of honor rallies those to his cause from all over the land. He does have a well-rounded supporting cast to support him, with Ben Kingsley harnessing his star power as the Hapsburg king and Ellie Bamber shining as his niece, who longs for the two lands to be reunited through anything but bloodshed.

The big screen is where William Tell will thrive best, as the saving grace that is its cinematic qualities will lay waste on even the biggest television. At the moment, when and how that will happen is a mystery, but Hamm and his production have made enough of a case for it to be sooner rather than later. Now all we need to do is wait and come up with a way for the “William Tell Overture” to be incorporated into the marketing.